Structural steel member



Feb. 27, 1940. 4 1', COLLINS 2,191,788

STRUCTURAL STEEL MEMBER Filed Jan. 7, 1938 a Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.@km, 6%:

A TTORNEX Feb. 27, 1940. T. COLLINS STRUCTURAL STEEL MEMBER 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 7, 1938 M w W W ATTORNEY.

Feb. 27, 1940. T.COLLINS STRUCTURAL STEEL MEMBER Filed Jan. 7, 1938 sSheets-Sheet s INVENTOR.

A TTORIYE Y.

I Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRUCTURAL STEELMEMBER Timothy Collins, San Francisco, Calif., assignor Benjamin F.Tomlin, San

Application January 7, 1938, Serial No. 183,848

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of making structural steel membersand the product obtained.

The object of the present invention is to generally improve and simplifythe construction of structural steel members such as wall and partitionstuds, ceiling joists, roof rafters, and the like, to provide a methodwhereby such members may be economically made from flat metal stripswithout waste of material, and further to provide a method whereby anexpanded structural member is formed by cutting, folding and bendingoperations only.

The method employed and the product obtained is shown by way ofillustration in the accompanying drawings, in which .,Fig. 1 is a planview of an elongated metal strip from which theproduct shown in Fig. 3is obtained, said figure showing the manner in which the strip is cutlongitudinally and transversely; v

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the metal strip showing the connectingarms bent at right angles to the fiat surface of the strip, and saidarms being partially expanded;

the final product showing a reinforcing bar secured between the centralarm connectors;

Fig. 5 shows a portion of the metal strip and the cut-out portionwhereby a bending lug is formedon the central connector. between thearms;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the bending lug before and afterbending;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a slightly different mannerof cutting the metal strip prior to forming and bending;

Fig. 8 shows the first forming operation; I

Fig. 9 shows the cross-arms partially expand- Fig. 10 shows the finalproduct, said product being identical to the product shown in Fig. 3 butVarying therefrom to the extent that the connecting cross-arms areangle-shaped in crosssection and that the central U-shaped connectorsare widened to receive a central reinforcing channel bar;

Fig. 11 is a View similar to Figs. lv and 7, showing another manner ofcutting the metal strip prior to forming and bending;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the first forming and bendingoperation;

Fig. 13 shows the final product with the cross-' arms completelyextended;

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Figs 1, '7 and 11, showing still anothermethod of cutting the 60 metal strip prior to forming and bending;

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing the first forming and bendingoperation;

Fig. 16 shows the cross-arms partially expanded or extended; and

Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing the final product with thecross-arms fully extended.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly Figs. 1 to 3,inclusive, in which a struc tural steel member is shown, this member isformed from a flat elongated metal strip generally indicated at A (seeFig. 1). This strip is first cut at suitable spaced intervals alonglines 2, 3 and 4, parallel to the sides of the strip, and thentransversely as at 5,, to form a pair of side strips fi-6 and pairs ofconnecting arms 11.

.The arms are connected to the side strips by portions B--ii and to eachother by members 9. The arms and the connecting portions 8-8 are bent atright angles to the flat surface of the side strips to stand on edgewith relation thereto as shown in Fig. 2, the connecting portions 9 ofeach pair of arms being. bent centrally upon themselves at the same timeto form U-shaped central connectors, the inner faces of which maycontact each other or be separated, as will hereinafter appear. The armsare next bent at right angles to the portions Ei5, as shown at ill-40,and also at right angles to the central connectors 9, as shown at ll--ll, and will thus spread the side strips apart and form connectingcrossarms between the side strips, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.Thereafter, the side strips are bent to form side flanges l2l2 and websi l-M.

The finished product is a structural metal memberwhich consists of apair of angle bars connected by cross-arms, said arms being formedintegrally with the web portions of the angle bars and being disposed onedge with relation to the flat surfaces of the webs. A. rigid structuralmember is thus provided which is much wider than the comparativelynarrow strip of sheet metal from which it was originally formed. Thewidth to which the strip may be expanded depends entirely on the lengthof the arms 1-! and the connecting portions 68. As the width increases,the spacing between the cross-arms in the final product increases, andconversely, the less the width of the final product, the less thespacing between the cross-arms. If more rigidity or a greaterload-bearing factor is desired,

a longitudinally,extending bar It may be intro-. duced between theU-shaped central arm conis provided to form the arm-connecting portionscutting out a portion of the metal strip of each connector, as indicatedat l8 in Fig. 5.

In Figs. '7 to 10, inclusive, a slightly modified form of the structureshown in Figs. 1 to 6 is disclosed. The metal strip (see Fig. '7) is cutin a manner identical to the strip shown in Fig. 1, but in additionthereto two short transverse cuts are made in connection with each setof crossarms, as indicated at 9 and 29]. The strip is first folded andbent as shown in Fig. 8. It is then expanded until the cross-arms assumethe position shown in Fig. 10, the partially expanded position of thecross-arms being shown in Fig. 9. The only manner in which this productdiffers from the product shown in Fig. 3 is that the legs of theU-shaped central connectors are spaced apart so as to permit theinsertion of a reinforcing channel bar or similar member as indicated at2! (see Fig. 10), and that the cross-arms are bent to form angle bars asshown at 22. Bending the cross-arms to make their cross-section conformto an angle bar obviously stifiens and reinforces the structural memberas a whole, and it is further stiffened and reinforced by insertion ofthe channel bar 25 or a similar member. It will also be obvious that theload-bearing factor of the structural member is thereby increased,permitting the structural member to be used for numerous purposes.

In Figs. 11 to 13, a further modification is disclosed. The sheet is outalong the lines indicated at 24, 25 and 25, parallel to the outer edgesof the strip. It is then cross-cut along the lines indicated at 21. Thesheet is next folded to assume the shape shown in Fig. 12, and it isthen expande ed to form the final and finished product shown in Fig. 13.This product is very similar to the product shown in Fig. 3, with theexception that the U-shaped central connectors 28 have been reversed inposition, and that additional metal indicated at 8a. The portions 80.should preferably be welded to the inner faces of the channel bars shownat 29 and the clips 28 should similarly be welded with relation to eachother,

' thereby materially stiffening and strengthening the product. Theproduct also difiers from the structure shown in Fig. 3 in that the sidestrips, when finally folded, form channel bars 29-29 in place of anglebars as shown in Figs. 3 and 10.

In Figs. 14 to 17, the simplest form of. the invention is shown. In Fig.14 it will be noted that the flat metal strip is only provided with twolongitudinal spaced out portions, as indicated at 30 and 3!, and thatthe cross-cuts indicated at 32 connect the longitudinal cuts. The stripthus cut is folded as shown in Fig. 15. It is then gradually expanded asshown in Fig. 16 to the final position shown in Fig. 1'7. The centralconnector between the cross-arms is entirely eliminated. One end of eacharm is connected to a channel member as shown at 38 in a manner similarto the connecting portions shown at 8a in Fig. 13. The opposite end ofeach arm is connected to the web of an angle bar 35 in a manner similarto the connection of the arms shown in Fig. 3. This structure is thesimplest in form, and while it is not quite as rigid in'construction asthat structure shown in Fig. 13, it is on a par with the structure shownin Fig. 3, and perhaps a little more rigid, as the channel bar is formedon one side of. the cross-arms while angle bars only are formed onopposite sides of the cross-arms in T N Fig. 3.

It ,will be noted that in all of the structures,

cutting and blanking is performed without any waste of metal. Narrowstrips of metal may be bent, formed and expanded into structural membersof varying width, the width being increased or decreased as desired bymerely shortening or lengthening the cross-arms during the first cuttingoperation. Practically any stiffness or rigidity or load-bearingqualities may thus be ob tained, the load-bearing qualities or factorbeing increased or'dec'reased as desired by the insertion of a centralbar channel or like member, asshown in Figs. 4 and 10. All of. thestructures are open between the cross-arms, this being an exceedinglydesirable feature, particularly where the structural members are used asstuds in exterior walls or partitions, as it permits pipes, conduits,wiring and the like to be passed through the studs without cutting or inany way weakening them. Also, due to the open construction provided bythe cross-arms, it becomes a simple matter to attach clips or tyingwires to secme wire lath, expanded metal lath or other forms of lath.

While the structural members here disclosed,

are shown as formed from strips of sheet metal,

I do not wish to limit myself thereto, as the webs other features of thepresent invention have been l more or less specifically describedanclillustrated; I wish it understood that various changes may be resortedto within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described and illustrated my invention, what I claim anddesire to obtain by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A structural member of the character described comprising a pair oflongitudinally ex-:

tending spaced side strips, each strip having a web and a flange portionand a" plurality of cross-arms formed integral with the web portion ofeach side strip and connecting the same, said cross arms being disposedat right angles to the side strips and .said cross-arms being bent tostand on edge with relation to the fiat surfaces of the web members, anda centrally disposed U- shaped connector on each cross-arm.

2. A structural member of the character described comprising a pair oflongitudinally ex tending spaced side strips, each strip having a weband a flange portion and a plurality of crossarms formed integral withthe. web portion of each side strip and connecting the same, saidcross-arms being bent to stand on edge with relation to the fiatsurfaces of the Web members, and a centrally disposed U-shaped connectoron each cross-arm and alongitudinally extending reinforcing bar seatedin and secured between the U-shaped connectors.

3. A structural member of the character described comprising a pair of.longitudinally extending spaced side strips, each strip having a web andan inner and outer flange, a plurality of cross-arms formed integralwith the inner flanges of the side strips and connecting the same, saidarms being disposed at right angles to the side strips, and a centrallydisposed U- shaped connector on each cross-arm.

TIMOTHY COLLINS.

